it was brought to my attention by Pauline that this would be the perfect time to do a Halloween/Scary movie post. However I’m scared of scary movies so the list might not have gone over well with true horror fans.

Instead let’s talk about a SCARY good actor. An actor I’m convinced RDJ was making fun of in Tropic Thunder. None other than Christian Bale. A guy who tends to love sacrificing his body for his roles. Check him out in Vice…

Why Though:I’d just read 1984 around the time I saw this movie so I thought it was so cool how many parallels there were in this movie. I mean, that doesn’t make the performance great but it certainly helped me like this movie. I guess what I like about this performance is that Christian grounds what could be a (more) laughable execution of this film’s idea. There’s a scene where John makes good on a promise to wipe the smirk off Taye Digg’s face and it worked for me. It could have gone really wrong without a Bale like commitment.

Level of Sacrifice:The more I think about it, the more I believe Christian did something no other kid his age would have done to get into character for this. But nothing visible to a general audience.

Why Though:Some may forget that Christian has been doing this since he was a yougin. And based on this performance in a Steven Spielberg movie not enough people talk about, it seems like Christian has always been the goods. He has a level of commitment and authenticity that shows up even in roles like this that I feel like, based on the fact that the movie rests entirely on Jim’s shoulders, could have gone horribly wrong.

Level of Sacrifice:I bet he turned down fake hair and grew it out in record breaking time.

Why Though:A lot of the time, a Christian Bale performance will make you respect how good he is at acting. The stoic way he deals with something or the intensity he brings can impress. Dan Evans was one of the first impressive roles that also featured a sympathetic and vulnerable aspect. I truly appreciated the contrast painted between Dan and Russel Crowe’s character and how that helped flesh out Dan’s relationship with his son.

Level of Sacrifice:Bruh. This is it. This is the kind of sacrifice we’ve all come to expect from Christian Bale. I was so scared that if he just moved a certain way he’d break something or do permanent damage.

Why Though:More than just the eerie look Trevor has, I was genuinely invested in his journey thanks to Christian’s performance. I remember not being that big of a fan of the ending but the whole movie felt worthwhile because of the way Christian drew me in.

Level of Sacrifice:Six years later and still with another Batman movie to go, Christian went back to the Trevor Reznik well and got GAUNT. Salute that level of sacrifice.

Why Though:I love all the performances in this film. However, it’s the first time you see Dicky on that couch that you know Christian Bale came to win. He was going to sweep through this movie just like Heath did in The Dark Knight and make sure he makes every one of his scene partners play on his terms. It’s a showy role but I don’t think it ever goes over the top and that’s thanks to Christian’s skill.

Level of Sacrifice:It may not look like much but Christian went from The Machinst to this swole look. You also have to factor in that he initially bulked up too much and had to come back down. There was a lot of yo-yoing going on in what I can only imagine was a short period of time.

Why Though:You can just assume that all of the Dark Knight Trilogy is represented in this entry. I led with Batman Begins because I’m very particular about how Batman is portrayed. I don’t just go along with anyone who dons the cape and cowl. Christian made the role his own thing and I respected that. I even liked his performance in The Dark Knight Rises. A movie I don’t really like due to my very picky taste in how Batman is to be portrayed. So yeah I like him in all three equally.

Level of Sacrifice:I don’t know This role might have been relatively easy on Bale’s body but I’m sure there was something he was doing that would be incredibly taxing for us mere mortals.

Why Though:The fact that Christian Bale was in a movie directed by the guy who did Step Brothers was enough to get me on board and be excited about Vice. However, Christian gets to operate pretty much on his own and he’s still just as interesting to watch in this movie as everyone else who gets to mix and mingle with the other star power in this movie. Just goes to show the power of a Christian Bale performance.

Why Though:I’m not a fan of the whole did this really happen or not type movie. But this one still goes hard for me and it’s because you get to see the two sides of Patrick through Christian’s thoughtful performance. There’s always one scene that gets me in this movie and it’s when Patrick is asked if he likes to listen to Huey Lewis and the News (which we know he does) and he dismisses the music as too urban. I can’t sufficiently put into words why that is so good it’s just something you have to witness and see that Christian Bale has dialed into something special with this performance.

Level of Sacrifice:Not quite Dick Cheney in Vice big, but Christian got Prettaay Pretaaaay Pretty big for Irving. Without a fat suit. Don’t look it up just believe me.

Why Though:Another vulnerable performance. From the first time you see Irving meticulously arranging his hair and the overall loser quality to this performance was pulled off so well by Christian Bale. This time Christian shares the screen with the likes of Bradley (A Star is Born was actually pretty good) Cooper, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence and never gets outshined on his own track!

Level of Sacrifice:Is this a rare time where the character Bale is playing sacrifices more than he did word to the cutting off fingers scene?

Why Though:The Prestige, more than anything, proved Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan should make more movies together. I loved 2/3 of their Batman movies and ADORED their non Batman movie so I know I wasn’t just tipsy off the Batman boost. But I love that the movie has this meta quality of performing exactly like the magic tricks it describes during the opening scenes. With that comes a truly great performance by Christian Bale as two brothers who share a life because they’re so committed to their craft they make it a part of all aspects of their life even when “off stage.”